Magnetoinductive wave control

1. A method of transferring power or data or signals through a plurality of electrical resonators that support waves of inter-element excitation comprising waves of current induced in each resonator or magnetoinductive waves, MIWs, to wirelessly transmit power or data or signals to a receiver located adjacent to one or more target resonators of the plurality of electrical resonators, the method comprising locating the target resonator or resonators by determining which electrical resonator or resonators have the best coupling to a target device comprising the receiver placed in proximity to the plurality of electrical resonators; wherein the method comprises placing a first sub-set of the plurality of electrical resonators in an ‘off’ state and a second sub-set of the plurality of electrical resonators in an ‘on’ state, and determining that the target resonator or resonators are located closest to a resonator in the first sub-set of electrical resonators if the target device is receiving power from the plurality of electrical resonators.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising using a model to simulate the propagation of waves of inter-element excitation comprising waves of current induced in each resonator or MIWs in the structure to determine how to adjust the parameters of the metamaterial or multi-element structure to improve power or data or signal transfer.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising using the model to determine how to increase current flow at the target resonator or resonators once the target resonator or resonators have been identified.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the electrical resonators is a controllable resonator that comprises part of a controllable element, the controllable element further comprising a control device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the control device comprises an active control component that is configured to adjust the effective impedance or resonance frequency of the controllable resonator in response to a control signal.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising monitoring input impedance or reflection properties of at least one powered electrical resonator of the plurality of electrical resonators to locate the target device.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising converting a subset of the electrical resonators into power monitoring elements for detecting and locating a target device drawing power from the plurality of electrical resonators.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the system controller is configured to use a model to simulate the propagation of waves of inter-element excitation comprising waves of current induced in each resonator or MIWs in the structure to determine how to adjust the parameters of the metamaterial or multi-element structure to improve power or data or signal transfer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the system controller is configured to use the model to determine how to increase current flow at the target resonator or resonators once the target resonator or resonators have been identified.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one of the electrical resonators is a controllable resonator that comprises part of a controllable element, the controllable element further comprising a control device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the control device comprises an active control component that is configured to adjust the effective impedance or resonance frequency of the controllable resonator in response to a control signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the system controller is configured to monitor an input impedance or reflection properties of at least one powered electrical resonator of the plurality of electrical resonators to locate the target device.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the system controller is configured to convert a subset of the electrical resonators into power monitoring elements for detecting and locating a target device drawing power from the plurality of electrical resonators.